UF/IFAS Extension makes knowledge accessible to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. This mission drew Alex Bowen, a plant science senior, to intern with the UF/IFAS Extension Leon County Office. Bowen created educational materials for her primary project while exploring horticulture and the overall extension system in more detail.
Bowen’s project, under the supervision of Mark Tancig, the commercial/residential horticulture extension agent, was to create educational videos addressing topics of interest to Leon County residents. High school film courses gave her a strong foundation for the project, and residents found her first video on soil testing helpful.
“Bowen created four videos for us during her internship, which now have at least 100 views, with one up to almost 400 views in a month,” said Tancig.
Bowen’s days as an intern were varied. Her activities included helping with 4-H summer camps and Master Gardener workshops as well as writing a publication on plant dormancy for the Tallahassee Democrat. She grew in confidence as a science communicator, especially through the 4-H summer camps, which challenged her to work with different knowledge levels among audiences.
Prior to this internship, Bowen had observed and conducted research in on-campus labs, but she felt she was missing some of the action. With an open mindset, Bowen was ready for an opportunity to improve her skills in a new setting. She enjoyed communicating research to the public and carried her excitement for the position into every extension activity.
Bowen felt prepared to take on these activities with the knowledge gained from her previous coursework in plant ID, entomology, weed science, and more. Bowen also found community at UF and in CALS, working in the Sweet Corn Genomics and Breeding Lab and serving as the 2025-2026 president of Sigma Alpha, a professional agricultural sorority. These experiences and the extension internship have shaped Bowen’s professional outlook, leading her to pursue a career in agricultural sustainability and extension.
As Bowen’s extension internship ended, she walked away with a better understanding of readability in educational materials for audiences and an appreciation for the welcoming environment extension provides to its communities and staff.
“The job in extension is to help, and it really comes across as who they are as people as well,” said Bowen.
As a science communicator, she felt more confident in communicating research and understanding different audiences. Alex described the overall internship experience as an opportunity to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand the impact of extension and CALS in communities.
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ABOUT THE UF/IFAS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) administers the degree programs of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The mission of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to deliver unsurpassed educational programs that prepare students to address the world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities. The college has received more total (national and regional combined) USDA teaching awards than any other institution.
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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